In the summer of 2002, the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and several other local environmental activist groups in California announced their radical agenda to combat the “drought” in California by removing 1.3 million acres of farmland from production in the San Joaquin Valley. The effort to remove such a vast amount of farmland from production was due to an effort to save a 3-inch long minnow called the Delta Smelt. The burden that water policies in California have had on taxpayers is often overlooked and widely misunderstood. It is worth understanding what these policies mean and how they affect not only California, but the rest of the country.
The Moral Hazard of Subpriming Solar
In January 2016, Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker announced the launch of the $30 million Mass Solar Loan Program (MSLP). MSLP will provide residential solar customers income-based loan support and interest rate buy downs. The program will also include a subprime loan loss reverse scheme to reduce the risk to lenders, opening the door for financial chaos to ensue.
A Baffling Ban on Selling Bottled Water
The most essential nutrient for people is water. This is particularly true when someone is exercising or otherwise engaged in activities that require more than a “normal” amount of water. Those activities would include strenuous walking or hiking, such as one might do while visiting one of America’s national parks.
Organic Food: A Healthy Alternative or a Waste of Money?
Organic food is better for you, right? Think again. I listened to the John Batchelor radio show Monday night and was fortunate to hear a former colleague of mine, Henry Miller, MS MD, discuss organic foods. Dr. Miller is currently a Robert Wesson Fellow in Scientific Philosophy and Public Policy at the Hoover Institution where he […]
EPA: The Intersection of Invasive and Inefficient
There is no shortage of government agencies that fritter away hard-earned tax dollars by imposing hostile rules and regulations on businesses and individuals. But the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has practically cornered the market on invasiveness and inefficiency.
Senator Reid Out, Yucca Mountain In?
On March 27, 2015, Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) announced that he will not seek reelection in 2016. Supporters of the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository hope that the exit of one of its most powerful opponents will breathe new life into the long-stalled project.
IG Finds 30 percent of EPA’s Expensive Research Equipment Sat Idle for Years, Some More Than a Decade
Nearly $3 million dollars’ worth of Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) equipment has been gathering dust in a warehouse, according to a March 16, 2015 Inspector General’s (IG) audit.
Navy Showers for All?
It is bad enough the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) squandered $2 million of taxpayer money on grants and projects to capture methane gas from agricultural waste and landfills in foreign countries, $15 million on fraudulent credit card use, and in spite of several employees’ illicit behavior, such as watching pornography or running a business while at work, not one has been fired.
The Government Slumlord
It is no secret that the federal government has too much real property. Plainly put, Uncle Sam is one extremely disorganized landlord that likes to purchase, lease, and hoard large amounts of costly real estate. And as with most operations left to languish at the hands of bureaucrats, the business is terribly wrought with mismanagement and a serious lack of transparency.
A Glimmer of Hope at Yucca Mountain
On October 16, 2014, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) issued its Yucca Mountain Safety Evaluation Report 3, which confirmed what unbiased observers have long known: the facility meets the government’s long-term regulatory and safety requirements as a nuclear-waste repository. Progress on opening Yucca has continually stalled due to a variety of factors, but chief among them has been the opposition of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), who has used his position of power to thwart efforts to open the site. Now that the Republican Party has captured the majority in the Senate, common sense may finally win the day.